as in regulating
to make changes to (something) in order to keep a desirable balance, proportion, etc.
He takes insulin to modulate his blood sugar levels. She kept talking during the performance, making no effort to modulate her voice.
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Recent Examples of modulating
Endocannabinoids control our sleep/wake cycle, aka our circadian rhythms, by modulating and maintaining the brain’s biological balance through an abundant receptors neuroscientists call CB1.
—
Shoshi Parks, Popular Science, 3 June 2026
Adaptogens work primarily by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis — the system that governs your stress hormones — and balancing cortisol.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026
Calming involves controlling your internal biological responses, such as lowering your heart rate and breathing rate, and modulating your outward behavior.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
The approach has nothing to do with maximizing screentime or superseding her actual director, but modulating her performance within a broader context.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2026
It’s made with guayusa (a natural source of L-theanine and caffeine) and gotu kola (for modulating GABA).
—Brianna Peters, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2026
Even for women uninterested in modulating their feelings and behavior to fit a societal standard of supportive positivity, perimenopause is presented as a hazard to health and well-being.
—Patricia Bencivenga, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
The approach that works for him involves periodized nutrition, modulating his fat and carbohydrate consumption based on his day-to-day training needs.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 5 Mar. 2026
Joe was modulating it brilliantly and knowing how much of it to use and not to.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Shoshi Parks, Popular Science, 3 June 2026
Adaptogens work primarily by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis — the system that governs your stress hormones — and balancing cortisol.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026
Calming involves controlling your internal biological responses, such as lowering your heart rate and breathing rate, and modulating your outward behavior.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
The approach has nothing to do with maximizing screentime or superseding her actual director, but modulating her performance within a broader context.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2026
It’s made with guayusa (a natural source of L-theanine and caffeine) and gotu kola (for modulating GABA).
—Brianna Peters, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2026
Even for women uninterested in modulating their feelings and behavior to fit a societal standard of supportive positivity, perimenopause is presented as a hazard to health and well-being.
—Patricia Bencivenga, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
The approach that works for him involves periodized nutrition, modulating his fat and carbohydrate consumption based on his day-to-day training needs.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 5 Mar. 2026
Joe was modulating it brilliantly and knowing how much of it to use and not to.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modulating
Verb
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Anthropic employees have so far provided a $476,000 boost to Alex Bores, a New York assemblymember running for Congress who sponsored that state’s new law regulating AI.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
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Otherwise, Maryland risks regulating only the visible surface of healthcare AI while ignoring the far more consequential infrastructure underneath it.—
Sreedhar Potarazu,
Baltimore Sun,
14 June 2026
Verb
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The idea is to shift sunscreen from a once-in-the-morning habit into something more informed and responsive – adjusting reminders and guidance around actual exposure, skin profile, and daily behavior.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
16 June 2026
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That could mean adding a crosswalk, changing signal timing, redesigning a bike lane or adjusting how curb space gets used.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
Verb
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For more than 75 years, a strong partnership between universities and the federal government has made this leadership possible—fueling innovation, strengthening our economy and improving the human condition.—
Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
16 June 2026
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The foundation aims to find new ways to expand today’s tent of philanthropists dedicated to improving their surrounding areas.—
James Pollard,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Screen time has many people asking whether their contact lenses can do double duty by filtering blue light along with correcting vision.—
Samantha Agate,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
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Authorities initially identified him as Somali before later correcting his nationality to Sudanese.—
Bradford Betz,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Modulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modulating. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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